Fracture
by Merait
Summary: At one of the extravagant Ouran Host Club dance balls, one of the Hosts is abducted, unknowingly set to face immense terror and violence. Will the Host Club be able to stand united and find a way to resolve this situation? WARNING: contains violence/adult themes in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Italics_ : thoughts of a character

* * *

 _Crap! I'm late for Host Club again!_ Haruhi was sprinting down the South Corridor to Music Room 3, again having spent too much time studying in the library before remembering her Host Club duties. Upon reaching the room, and opening its large doors, a beam of light shone out, temporarily blinding her…

'Welcome!'

When she regained her vision, imperial Russia greeted her.

 _Eeehh?_ But before she could start properly looking at the 6 cosplaying, handsome boys in front of her, they started to break away from their "positions".

'Oh, it's just Haruhi being late again,' Hikaru and Kaoru, dressed as Russian soldiers with matching black ushankas, said in unison. At this point, all 6 of them had learnt to anticipate such scenarios. They didn't really hate her for this too: after all, she was on a scholarship and thus needed to top the class.

'Ah, Haruhi!' a blond, tall, and handsome prince (or at least dressed like one) walked up to her as he exclaimed those words in a slightly extravagant manner. 'You've finally arrived! Here, let daddy help you into this replica dress of Catherine the-'

'Firstly Takami-senpai, I don't need your help. Secondly, I don't see why I should wear this,' came Haruhi's swift reply, which promptly sent Tamaki to sulk in his corner. _I don't need your help… I don't need your help… I don't need your help…_

'Yeah Tono, she isn't a baby you know. Why would she need help wearing a dress?' Hikaru chimed in.

'Besides, stop calling yourself daddy. You're not a tranny like Ranka-san, right Tono?' Kaoru said (without meaning to offend Haruhi, who didn't really care anyway.)

Haruhi decided to ignore the ensuing battle between Tamaki and the twins and took a seat next to the other 3 hosts.

'Hi Haruhi. Luckily for you today the guests are scheduled to come slightly later,' the bespectacled Ootori "Shadow King" Kyoya looked up from his file as he passed her a set of modern Russian soldier clothes. 'By the way, there will be a meeting later regarding next week's dance party, so don't forget to stay behind, Haruhi.'

'Ehhh? Does that mean I have to dance again? I-I'd rather not…'

'It's ok Haru-chan! You're so cute when you dance!' The short, third-year Mitsukuni "Honey" Haninosuka exclaimed as he paused in between mouthfuls of cake, while his silent cousin and best friend, Takashi "Mori" Morinozuka nodded in approval.

.

.

.

[The Host Club is open for business]

'Tamaki-sama, you look so impressive in that princely attire!' Tamaki's guests swooned over his immaculate appearance, which even Haruhi had to silently admit was even more impressive today. 'You really remind me of a lonely prince fighting his way through dozens of barbarians in the harsh Russian winter, in order to meet his princess…'

'Thank you, my lady.' Tamaki replied as he shifted into his "Host King" mode. 'But even the coldest of winter shall surely, melt away at an instant once we gush out our love for each other…'

'Kyaaaaa!'

On the other side of the room, the twins were playing a card game with their own guests.

'No way! I can't believe I lost because of Hikaru's tricks again!' the younger twin shouted.

'Shush, Kaoru, keep your voice down. You don't need to get upset over a little card game,' Hikaru commented, prompting Kaoru to produce tears. Noticing this, Hikaru developed the act further: 'Don't cry Kaoru! I-I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings…forgive me!' By this point, Hikaru was hunched over Kaoru, holding his face as the girls watched in anticipation.

'Hikaru…' The reply sent shockwaves down the girls, who were ogling over the "forbidden twincest".

Meanwhile, Mori was plowing his way thorugh Matryoshka dolls, taking the dolls of decreasing sizes out of each other until, where the smallest doll was supposed to be placed, instead out came Honey. 'Ta-da!' the little host exclaimed as their guests marvelled at his cuteness, before he tucked into some bird's milk cake (a sweet Russian delicacy).

 _Yes, it's just another day at the Host Club,_ Haruhi's mind wondered as she sat entertaining her guests ('I haven't been to Russia before, but I do know it's a very cultured place.' 'Kyaa! Haruhi-kun, you're so deep!'). To be honest, she now felt an inseparable bond from the Host Club, regardless of just how evil Kyoya-senpai could be sometimes, or the crazy tricks the twins could play, or Tamaki with his narcissism and stupidity in general. (Seriously, how does he still call himself as her _dad_?) While studying was of course a big part of her life - especially so because of her scholarship - she now looked forward to Host Club activities after school, no matter how tiring or crazy they can sometimes become. Sometimes, she felt that if time stopped, she wouldn't mind, and a big reason for that is her friendship with the Host Club members. It really seemed like there would be no end to the Host Club and her bonds with each and every member of the club.

.

.

.

Of course, in the short term such impressions could change, as an hour of supposed discussion partly devolved into yet another of Tamaki's 'As her daddy, I want to see Haruhi wearing a cute dress!' ideas, eagerly supported by the twins and Honey (Mori and Kyoya didn't really mind either way). This has been the umpteenth time such a notion has been suggested by Tamaki, and it was irritating Haruhi. Nevertheless, the meeting did end off on a good note, with most of the plans being finalised to be both extravagant and inexpensive (relatively), leading to a happy Host Club debrief (and a very happy Kyoya).

'Well, we should start practicing our dance moves within this week! And Haruhi,' Tamaki paused, staring into her face with puppy eyes, 'your daddy would be very pleased to offer his services in helping you practice too!'

'No, it's ok senpai.' 'Ahahahaha! Tono has been rejected again!' 'Shutup, devil brothers! I have a duty as Haruhi's father to ensure her dance will be perfect!'

As the bickering turned out into another standard commotion, Honey and Mori looked on, both too thinking about their friendships within the Host Club.

'You know, Takashi,' Honey said as he looked down onto Mori's head. 'Don't you think this dance ball will be very fun?'

'Yeah.'

.

.

.

But no one knew it then, that it wouldn't just be not fun: it would be the catalyst for something terrible to befall the Host Club members.

* * *

AN: As my favourite anime/manga of all time, I decided to write this. While this chapter is meant to be close to a normal intro for Ouran, future chapters will most likely contain violence/adult stuff, and those will have warning labels at the top. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

For clarity's sake, this story is set in between sometime after the first 50 chapters or so, but before the Suoh company's takeover shenanigans and Honey+Mori's graduation. (Read Ouran for details, you'll see why I call it shenanigans.)

I do not own Ouran Koukou Host Club or any of its characters, plot, etc. I do, however, thank the gods behind the Ouran manga/anime for this wonderful series.

WARNING: This chapter has some violence. Nothing compared to what I plan for future chapters, but just a heads-up.

* * *

'So, this is the one we are after. Any last questions?'

'Just to clarify, that is one of those from the Ouran Host Club?'

'Yes, this one will be our next toy. Be warned though…the target may put up resistance.'

* * *

[ONE WEEK LATER, 30 MINUTES BEFORE START OF DANCE BALL]

'Alright everyone, this is probably one of the biggest events we have ever hosted in terms of guest turnout, but just remember, more guests mean more chances for them to be entertained by our wit and looks,' Tamaki said in an excited tone. However, even he seemed slightly, just very slightly anxious. After all, as happily noted out by Kyoya, the event received an unmatched level of interest. The reason?

'Haruhi, please try your very best not to get caught up in other matters. After all, you didn't really dance with the guests that much during the last few dance balls we held,' Kyoya reminded her in his typical matter-of-fact, yet intimidating manner. 'I suspect that this record turnout is partly due to high interest of the girls in dancing with you. At least, that is the opinion I garnered from Renge.'

'Oh … I see. I'll try my best,' Haruhi grimaced, not really daring to argue that in the past few dance balls, she had been forcibly whisked away by various Host Club members for varying reasons.

'And don't worry about the food too, Haruhi!' Tamaki jumped in. 'Daddy has specially guaranteed that fatty tuna will be offered, and you are privileged to eat as much of it as you want! After all, it is a rare chance for a commoner…'

Haruhi uttered a word of thanks as she ignored Tamaki's look of pity. 'And no Hikaru, I'm not wearing that dress, I already have my attire on.'

'Well maybe not now, but definitely later on,' Hikaru said, shuffling the white dress away.

'After all, most of today's guests think you're a transvetite, and people like Bossanova-chi will keep your REAL gender a secret,' Kaoru chimed in.

'Besides, you'll look so cute in that dress Haru-chan!' 'Yeah.' 'Daddy would love to see you in such a wonderful dre-'

'Right everyone, I don't mind this banter but we really need to get going now,' Kyoya intervened.

As the Host Club members walked down to the holding area, greeting many guests (especially girls) along the way, Haruhi's mind was totally focused on finally getting to eat fatty tuna for the first time, when she suddenly bumped into a black figure.

'Ah, sorry…' she muttered, before managing to get a clearer look at the person. Brown-haired, he looked like a stereotypical bodyguard, with a black suit, black pants, black leather shoes and black sunglasses. However, he seemed slightly familiar (even with the sunglasses), and his stature seemed to be similar to that of a student, which was odd.

'Sorry,' he grunted back. 'By the way, is this the Ouran Host Club?'

'Uh…yes-' but before Haruhi could ask if she could help him out, she noticed an impatient Kyoya beckoning for her to hurry up, and took her leave with another apology.

The male momentarily stood in the hallway, looking at the seven that just passed him, searching for a particular one.

'So there you are…brat.'

* * *

[THE DANCE BALL BEGINS]

It was completely dark in the central salon, the location of the dance ball. Then, 7 spotlights turned on, each revealing a person underneath it, standing on the steps of the salon. The gathered crowd went wild for a few seconds, before silencing itself as a tall, blond figure raised his microphone.

'Thank you all for coming,' Tamaki said. 'This is by far the biggest dance ball we have ever held, but that is a good thing. So many beautiful women of this fine institute, and let's not forget the dashing men who came here too. Plenty of opportunities for new, hot and passionate romances to bud! The Ouran Host Club members will happily serve you, as that is our main duty.'

'Now as the tradition of the Host Club's dance ball goes,' the bespectacled gentleman next to him said, 'we will choose a winner for the best couple, and the lucky woman will get a kiss from the King, without meaning any offence to her partner of course.'

'Ganbatte,' Tamaki paused. The crowd held its breath.

'Baby.'

The crowd went mental.

* * *

As the event progressed, the atmosphere was really skyrocketing. Even Haruhi was enjoying herself, just a bit.

'Fujioka!' A familiar voice from the food table? She spun around to see a red-haired male beckoning her over.

'Ara? Casanova-kun? Why are you here?'

'Well, it has been quite a long time since I visited the Host Club…and more importantly, I haven't seen you in a long time.' Kasanoda was growing red, his shy nature worsening the fact that many of the male students who were unfamiliar with him were looking at him with scared expressions.

As he offered to get some fatty tuna for her, a figure approached Haruhi.

'Excuse me…'

'Hmm?...Oh, are you by any chance the man I bumped into just now?'

'Ah yes, sorry about that once again. Are you a member of this Host Club?'

'Well, yes. Do you need any help?'

'…' The male suppressed a grin.

 _So far, so good._

'I need to see one of your members for…important reasons, but I can't seem to find him…'

As he talked to this boy ( _or girl?_ He really couldn't tell.) for the whereabouts of the target, he noticed in the far corner of his eye, a familiar presence, with long red hair. This wasn't a friendly presence. As the figure came closer, one look at his face confirmed his suspicions, and he cut off suddenly.

'Hrnh?' Kasanoda's face turned into a malicious, hostile frown, as he recognised the person talking to Haruhi, and that person wasn't welcome to him.

'Oh, excuse me. I need to go off for now…' the Sendou decided it won't be good to confront Kasanoda now, not in front of so many people anyway. _Better to not risk revealing my true intentions here._

As he walked away hurriedly, Haruhi turned to Kasanoda, who grabbed her out of the blue.

'Hey Casanova-kun, why did you react like that?'

'Ah, sorry Fujioka, I didn't mean to startle you or anything,' Kasanoda replied. 'It's just…just that I recognised him, and he is a member of the Sendou, an enemy of our clan. You shouldn't get involved with him, because his clan is one of the most powerful gangsters in Japan, and they have committed serious crimes before.'

Haruhi froze. The male had just asked her for the whereabouts of someone close to her, and she could infer from Kasanoda's warning that he was looking for his target with malicious intentions.

This wasn't good. Not at all.

'Casanova-kun, I need your help. That person just asked me to find a particular person-'

'That's not good, Fujioka. The Sendou nowadays only mean trouble.'

'I can infer that. I need you to help me find Honey-senpai.'

* * *

 _Where is he?_ Haruhi was looking around, but couldn't find him. Finally, she ran into another Host who could provide some information.

'Hi Mori-senpai. I would have expected Honey-senpai to be tagging along with you. Have you seen him?'

'Well, I think he might have went over to the food table for cake.'

Of course. The most obvious area, and she didn't bother to check it.

'Good evening, Morinozuka-senpai!' Kasanoda joined in. 'Senpai, one of the Sendou is looking for him.'

'Sendou…? Isn't that…'

Mori's eyes widened. He understood why the Sendou were looking for Mitsukuni.

'Tell me what he looks like, and I will deal with him.'

* * *

It turned out that a huge crowd wasn't a good thing now, as Haruhi, Kasanoda and Mori struggled to get past the masses of bodies to even look for either the Sendou or Honey, especially with the latter being so small. Instinctively, Mori waded his way through to the food table. _If Mitsukuni gets in danger, then…_

'Mori-senpai, look! There's…there's strawberry cake on the floor?' Mori froze, adrenaline pumping through his body, as he looked at the small amount of cake that was indeed on the floor, and what appeared to be a single footstep, a small one, made out of cake next to it, headed out to the exit door. Mori grasped the situation in front of him immediately. Among the people in this room, only Mitsukuni could have feet of similar size. Judging by its direction, it looked as if he ran away towards the exit...

 _Shit._

'Mitsukuni!' Mori yelled, as he bolted towards the door, as Haruhi and Kasanoda ran after him, surprised by his reaction. The tall host ignored the shocked guests around him as he sprinted with all his strength.

* * *

Stepping outside onto the corridor, the sound of electricity and screaming greeted Mori.

'Quiet!' the Sendou was pointing something at the ground, on which Honey was lying. The lighting in the corridor revealed him to be sprawled out on the floor, completely helpless against the taser. The small Host was screaming in pain, wriggling in an almost uncontrollable manner. Two probes were stuck on him, connected to the taser's wires. It was almost as if the taser was the puppeteer, manipulating Honey to feel immense pain.

'Mitsukuni!' Mori yelled, dashing towards the scene. 'Why you little…arghhh!'

A second person, hid in the shadows, slugged Mori in the abdomen, knocking him back, and blocked his way forward. The force was so great that blood immediately started to leak out of Mori's mouth.

'Ta…ka…shi…,' Honey groaned. The sound of electricity, overwhelming as it already was, threatened to mute his words out. However, Mori, after so much time spent with him, could make out his words.

'He…lp.'

And with that last, desperate request, he slumped, motionless and quiet.

* * *

As his cousin fell unconscious, Mori only stared wide-eyed, motionless. Panic gripped him. Panic, that after all those years of ensuring his safety, he had failed to save Mitsukuni from two low-life gangsters.

Panic, that the Sendou could, no, would have darker plans, both against Mitsukuni and the Haninozuka clan.

And panic, that the Host in front of him, lying completely unmoving on the cold floor, could be seriously injured, or traumatised, or,

 _Dead?_

The second Sendou braced himself, wary of any potential counterattacks. He whipped out a pistol, aware of Mori's martial arts prowess.

 _Panic._

A mixture of hatred boiled through Mori's blood, and his usually cool and collected brain screamed something in his ear, repeatedly.

 _Revenge._

'Mori-senpai!' But he did not turn back at the familiar voice. He threw away his logic. Instead, like a mad bull, he charged forward at the man, reason having left him. He was fast, the sense of vengeance giving him a renewed adrenaline boost, the hatred propelling his feet forward as he braced his fists-

* * *

And then, Haruhi and Kasanoda could only watch in horror, as the tall host fell backwards, blood spurting out from his front. It was almost graceful, aesthetic even, but there was nothing graceful about this situation, this tragedy.

The Sendou brothers gained sight of them. 'Oh god, there's more!' the one in front shouted.

'Leave them! I'll take the runt, let's split and meet up at the getaway!' The rear one responded with a tinge of anxiety in his voice. Picking up the small Host almost effortlessly, he ran away from the scene, with the other following suit, before splitting in two directions.

Haruhi blinked. Tears started flowing from her eyes, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

 _This is a dream. There's no way that this can be happening._

* * *

AN: So the target is Honey (incidentally my favourite character, but that's NOT why I chose him. Sorry Honey!). I chose him because throughout the manga/anime his bond with the Host Club members (except Mori) isn't explored as deeply as the other Hosts (like Tamaki, or even the twins etc.), so I wanted to do that instead. How will they react? (Some people might say this doesn't make sense as Honey had beaten up Chika, Chika and Chika, oh and also two Green Beret platoons and the Otori's private police force through martial arts only: I'll go over that within the next few chapters.)

Apart from that, in case you have no inference skills, Mori got shot. For a brief refresher, the Sendou is the gangster clan from which Kasanoda's servant/disciple/idk Tetsuya comes from, and whether they're enemies idk, for this story they are but it's mostly irrelevant.

One last thing: Tamaki's 'ganbatte' scene is parodied from Episode 2 of the Ouran anime. One of my all time favourite anime scenes cus it's funny to me. Alright if you read until here have a strawberry cake, thank you for reading! (both the actual story (please) and this rant of an AN)

PS Fanfiction gives you research skills cus tasers. Oh and in future, updates might be slower, like maybe weekly, partly due to other commitments and partly cus I feel that something like twice a week, while fast, sacrifices content quality. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Black. Pitch black.

No matter where he turned his eyes to, he couldn't see anything other than black.

 _Where am I?_

He tried to get up, but couldn't. It was as if he was bonded tightly to something, seemingly a chair based on his sitting pose.

Running through memory lane, the last thing he remembered was jumbled up.

 _There were girls… I remember talking to Kyo-chan, or was it Tama-chan?_

 _I remember there was strawberry cake, that should have been nice._

 _And then…running?_

The corridor.

 _There was someone… someone running after me… and then I was on the ground…_

Pain. Lots of pain. Electricity?

 _I saw someone… it was very blurry, but he was shouting my name…_

 _Takashi?_

At that point, light appeared. It was a single light on the ceiling, shining directly on top of and onto his head.

Honey blinked, stunned by the sudden brightness. He could see his surroundings now: he was indeed tied very tightly to a chair by rope. He was still in his suit and pants, and he was in a room with gray walls. There was absolutely nothing else except him, the light, and a door in front of him, which opened silently just as he saw it.

Two men appeared in front of him.

'Mitsukuni Haninozuka. You are currently held in one of the Sendo's hideouts, far away from Ouran Academy.'

* * *

'Mori-senpai!'

Haruhi sprinted towards the limp figure sprawled on the cold floor as if her life depended on it. The actual distance was not that long, but to her it did, as if an infinite amount of space separated her from him.

There was a red circle, a small one, on Mori's stomach. It was expanding fast. Red liquid was flowing from it, slowly trickling down.

'Mori-senpai…' Haruhi couldn't find words. Words to describe this horror, this mess that she thought wouldn't have happened, this mess that shouldn't have happened. Her vision was half-clouded, tears covering her eyes.

 _Why did this happen? Why was Honey-senpai abducted? Why was Mori-senpai…_

 _Why?_

'Morinozuka-senpai…' Kasadona too was horrified beyond words. Growing up in the Kasanoda clan, training to be the next head of the clan: these had taught him only to project a cold, gangster-like image, but this was something he had never felt before. Looking at Haruhi, he could tell that she was shell-shocked, just like him, but she was unable to move, staring deeply yet blankly at the wound. As of now, she couldn't do anything but weep.

He wanted to stay, to comfort her, but he knew he had to get help.

He had to find the other Hosts. And he vowed to get revenge on the Sendo Clan.

* * *

'Let me answer your burning questions, little runt.' the first Sendo snarled. 'Remember a week ago, when your clan had humiliated us in combat?'

Honey froze. A week ago, he was travelling back home with his family, having finished the annual training they gave to the Japanese police force, when six men appeared in front of them. They wanted their money, their belongings, and they knew that they were Haninozukas. Of course, the resulting combat almost killed the six men, but as they ran away, one shouted at them, half ramble and half… curse.

'Stupid Haninozukas! You built your reputation through combat, you'll lose it through combat! A plague o' your house!'

At that time, Honey didn't ponder too much about the incident. After all, his family did receive occasional threats similar to this one, but they were never followed through. But now… this was different.

'I'm sure you remember, you were there after all.' the Sendo smirked. 'But no need to apologise now. We have taken our revenge, and you are the big prize we have earned.'

 _Revenge? Did... did they do something to my family?_

'Don't worry about your family, they're in safe hands by now. We don't necessarily want to hurt you. We just want to strike a… deal with you.'

'What did you do to my family?' Honey knew that he had to get out of here, and fast. He knew his family wasn't anywhere near 'safe hands'. He needed to get to them quickly.

'We'll rather not say. But how about this?' the Sendo leaned in closer. He had a strong musk that almost knocked Honey out, chocking even. 'You will join the honourable Sendo clan, and you will be treated with the same prestige that you have been treated with throughout your life. Of course, we fully encourage you to make an informed choice and accept, for if you don't… well, the alternative isn't very pleasant.'

 _Join the Sendo? The clan that could have hurt my family? And they call themselves honourable?'_

The little Host sat upright, restraints still holding but still causing the Sendo to back away slightly.

'Jerk. You want me to join your clan? You call your clan honourable? It's anything but honourable! Your clan tased and kidnapped me, possibly hurt my family, and you call your clan honourable? Get these ropes off of me!'

The Sendo stood, motionless. Expressionless. In a calm manner, he beckoned for the other man to pass him a piece of paper and a stamp.

'Harsh words don't suit the etiquette a heir to the Haninozuka should have,' he replied. 'Here, please read through the contract and feel free to ask any questions. If there are no problems, we will help you to stamp the contract. Or maybe we will get a pen, if that's what you prefer?'

'Get a pen? Get these fucking ropes off of me, you dickheads!'

The man had expected this, of course. After all, no sane person would happily sign a contract that forces them to abandon their family after waking up, kidnapped in an unfamiliar place.

 _Well then, the fun part begins._

'Ah, such ungentlemanly language, heir to the Haninozuka,' the Sendo did a mock bow as he uttered those words. 'Very well, why not we demonstrate what happens when you cross a Sendo?' He walked forward, right up to Honey's face, two hazel eyes glaring at him.

A slap broke the silence.

'Did that hurt?' the man asked mockingly, as the boy's face was propelled to the right, his cheek turning red. The Sendo kicked the chair, which fell backwards. Honey let out a sharp yell as it hit the floor, before a kick in the chest temporarily knocked all sound out of him.

'If you don't wish to comply, then we will have to use force,' the Sendo said menacingly, continuously kicking Honey's chest at a continuous rhythm. The kicks were punctuated by helpless screams from Honey, whose consciousness was fast fading again from his still weak body.

 _I have... to... get... out of... here._

As he fell unconscious again, the Sendo men took the opportunity to remove the restraints from Honey.

'Change his clothes to the prisoner's attire, and lock him up in Cell 6. Chain him up, lest he breaks out,' the leader of the group barked instructions, with his subordinates diligently obeying them. As he looked at the hapless boy being carried away, he couldn't help but crack a smile.

The plan has rolled into action. And it was following the script almost perfectly.

'We. Are Just. Getting. Started.'

* * *

'Ootori-senpai!' Kasanoda finally found one of the Hosts, and lucky enough to find the one with the most contacts. But he did not celebrate. There was not time to celebrate. This wasn't the situation to celebrate about.

'Ah, Kasanoda. I haven't seen you in a long time,' the bespectacled senior looked at him with friendly, yet scheming eyes. Profits were going to be at an all-time high-

'Ootori-senpai, there is an emergency and I - Fujioka and I need your help!'

 _Haruhi and Kasanoda needing help? Well, isn't this unusual._

'Alright, what is this emergency?'

'Ootori-senpai... Haninozuka-senpai was - he was...' Kasanoda could not bare to utter the words that should have followed. The two strongest seniors he knew, the duo that he came to respect so much, they had crumbled in the most helpless fashion, none of which was either one's fault.

Kyoya sensed something was right.

'Did Honey-senpai get seriously injured?'

'...tased, and - and kidnapped... by the Sendo.'

 _What?_ For all the coldness he usually displayed, Kyoya was shocked. In disbelief, he had to clarify. His ears must have told him false things.

'Yes, kidnapped. And Morinozuka-senpai... shot, he might die any moment...'

Kyoya's ears didn't tell him false things. But how he wished they did at that instant in time. He knew what had to be done, and fast.

'Kasanoda-kun, tell the rest of the Hosts immediately. I'll call for the ambulance.'

As the red-haired one ran out of sight, Kyoya's mind was in turmoil. Even as he demanded into his phone for the ambulance for Mori-senpai, he had to think about Honey-senpai as well. This wasn't a question of profit now: it was a matter of life and death, for both Hosts.

Putting his phone back into his pocket, he grabbed the microphone. _Of course they have to do it during the dance ball. They wouldn't have expected such attacks._

'Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately due to serious technical difficulties, the event must be stopped...'

And as confusion set in the central salon, Kyoya was worried. The Sendo was a very dangerous clan, and even Honey was vulnerable in his weakened state. Mori's condition might be up to god, but Honey had to be rescued, and fast.

* * *

They ran out to the corridor. Haruhi was still hunched over Mori, her tears having run out but the grief still present.

She had been there. If only she was faster in reaching the corridor, then maybe she could have stopped this from happening. She tried to tell herself it wasn;t her fault, but that made it worse.

 _If only..._

Tamaki, usually so optimistic and loud, was reduced to silence upon seeing Mori. Everyone was silent, all shocked that this travesty could happen.

'My god...' Tamaki walked over slowly, towards a site he had previously only seen in movies before. He couldn't understand why, how Mori of all people ended up like this. 'Why did this have to happen... Haruhi, are you alright?'

'Tamaki-senpai... I'm sorry, I was there, but...' Haruhi uttered, tears renewed upon seeing that crestfallen look on his face.

'Haruhi, it's okay. It's not your fault, not Bossanova-kun's fault that Mori-senpai got hurt., nor that Honey-senpai.. neither of you could have stopped it.' But his words provided minimal respite for her. What he said was indeed true, but still, there was this nagging feeling, the feeling of guilt, that somehow she was culpable for Mori's being shot. Looking once again at the unconscious body of Mori, she felt grief, confused, as to whatever that was going around her.

She could have collapsed onto the body, were it not for the sound of footsteps approaching their way. Paramedics, from an ambulance Kyoya had hurriedly summoned. A quick inspection, and they put Mori on a stretcher, lifting him up in one quick move. The Hosts followed them to the ambulance, silent in unison. Some were dazed, others were praying to god.

Praying that Mori and Honey would be safe.

* * *

They thanked the gods that the hospital was very near Ouran Academy, that the ambulance was quick. But as they sat outside the operating theatre, the mood was heavy. It was silent. No one dared to break it.

Finally, it was Kaoru who decided to speak up.

'Guys, I know that Mori-senpai is in a critical condition... but what do we about Honey-senpai?'

What could they do, indeed? The Sendo duo didn't leave any substantial hints about their destination, as they owned many hideouts across Japan. Neither did they reveal their personal identities. There seemed to be almost no way to even start on Honey's situation.

'Well, we know that they're from the Sendo clan, and we know they're in one of their many hideouts,' Kyoya said, staring intently into his laptop, searching for data. 'One option would be to send in squads of the Ootori's private police to each hideout, but that will severely weaken the strength of each squad to the point that the squad that finds Honey-senpai's location would be wiped out by the Sendo members there. The only lead we have is they're not at the Sendo home, as they called the destination a hideout. Kasanoda-kun, any thoughts?'

'...the Sendo will want a large number guarding the hideout in case of Haninozuka-senpai busting out, so the hideout would have to be big. At the same time, they would have to be near the Sendo home should the Sendo's head be involved, and judging the two families' recent history, it is very possible.'

'So that leaves us with around... 14 possibilities, which is too many for the Ootori's private police to split up and barge in.'

The other Hosts were not paying much attention. Their minds were wandering around, shocked that the two Hosts who usually caused no one else harm were targeted and hurt. And now they could be dead. Tamaki didn't know what to do. This club that he created, as a means of second family: he didn't want it to fall apart, and he tried his best to solve internal issues that could destroy the family from within. Never did he expect it to be threatened to doom by external forces, and in such an unexpected fashion.

Hikaru was crestfallen: while his best friend still remained his twin brother, the Host Club members really helped to open up their world more, encouraging them to break away from total isolation. They might not have interacted as much with Honey and Mori as with the other Hosts. Hikaru didn't want to end up regretting that he couldn't do so in the future.

Haruhi didn't want to lose either Honey or Mori. They could seem to be dumb at times, but she knew that they were wise seniors who were good counsels, and they cared genuinely for her as much as she did for them. She had learned to appreciate the Host Club for all its craziness and care for each other, which the pair contributed to immensely. She didn't want them to get hurt, especially not when she could have potentially saved them from hurt.

* * *

It seemed forever until the doctor appeared. She was expressionless as she walked out of the operating theatre, holding a file in her hands.

Tamaki didn't want to know Mori's condition. Yet, he could not stop his feet running towards the doctor.

'Doctor! Is Mori-senpai okay?'

* * *

AN: Mori's condition revealed in next chapter, as is the Haninozuka family's.


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own Ouran Koukou Host Club or its characters, plot etc. I do own great love for Ouran Koukou Host Club and most of its characters, plot etc.

 _italics_ = character thoughts

 **WARNING:** Waterboarding. Google it if you don't know. It's not very nice.

* * *

'He's alive, but he is still in critical condition right now, so he will be in the ICU until there are signs of improvement-'

'Yes! Thank you great doctors for such wonderful news! You are all truly gods! Yahoo-'

* * *

As the twins made fun of Tamaki of the fact that Kyoya had pushed him out of his way with such brute force and in a hospital in front of a doctor, Kyoya himself was busy thanking the doctor on a much less boisterous manner, while reassuring her that Tamaki was not 'mentally challenged'. Not officially, anyway.

After she had walked off, Kyoya rounded up the rest (except Tamaki, who was in another of his dark corners).

'Well, that's one of the two worries solved,' he commented, trying to control the happiness within him to a civilised tone unlike his half-Japanese friend. 'According to hospital guidelines, we'll have to wait for at least two hours before we can visit Mori-senpai in the ICU, and only two of us can visit at a time. Since it's already so late, I think the rest of you should go home while Tamaki and I wait.'

'No, Kyoya-senpai. I'll stay instead, you should go home,' Haruhi retorted; she was going to stay, and apologise to Mori-senpai as soon as possible. Part of her questioned this: it wasn't her fault at all, yet she still felt a sense of guilt over the situation.

'Ah… are you sure you're alright with this, Haruhi? I'm worried that whatever you witnessed just now could have been traumatic, so you should head home to rest. Besides, you might end up waiting far longer than two hours.'

Haruhi's stubbornness wouldn't budge, however. In the end, it was decided that Haruhi and Tamaki will stay over at the hospital, while Kyoya and the others would start to locate and create a plan to rescue Honey over the weekend.

* * *

As the two sat on one of the cold hospital benches, there was a long, awkward silence until Tamaki broke it.

'Haruhi… what do you think of Mori and Honey-senpai?'

Up until this point, she had never really given much thought to that. _What indeed are my impressions about them?_ The relative lack of interaction between her and them as compared to her and the other Hosts meant that she had not pondered exactly what made her like and respect them. Up until now.

'Well… I think Mori-senpai might not be the loudest person, but… he is very loyal and would help his closest…' Haruhi couldn't continue. _Yes, Mori-senpai helped me a lot, like that time in the private resort, or even when we were cooking food for the vice-principal. But did I do enough, or anything at all, to repay his help?_

'…Haruhi,' Tamaki sensed her feeling of guilt once again. 'I'll repeat this over and over until you can accept it: you aren't responsible for Mori-senpai's injury. You couldn't have done anything about it at that time.'

'…I know, senpai,' Haruhi replied, trying to hold fresh tears back. 'Sorry about that.'

'No, I can completely understand why you feel like that, it's okay. So, what about Honey-senpai?'

'Huh…' She initially only thought of him as cute, but rather immature. But as time progressed, she had seen a deeper maturity within Honey that she had come to respect.

'Well, I think he's definitely strong.'

* * *

'Well? Well? Can you still think that you're strong by any measure?'

* * *

'But I also think that beneath his cuteness and his martial arts, he's a really caring and emotionally deep person…'

* * *

'There's nothing beneath your exterior! You're as weak as a six-year-old… and look and behave like one, too.'

* * *

'…and I've really come to respect him…. I really hope that we can find him as soon as possible.'

* * *

'No one really respects you! No one will respect such a small, immature piece of trash like you!'

He was held up in chains, in a vulnerable spreadeagle position. They were circling around him, giving the occasional punch or kick that would ignite pain in his body.

'Hey, don't you feel ashamed that we offered this runt a place as a Sendo clan member now? His clan's overrated, I've always told ya!'

'Don't let your guard down. The midget is still technically the national champion in karate and judo, though I'm not too sure of the national standards… having said that, he'll make a fun… toy.'

 _I need to get out!_

'Well then, you've been there for quite some time, so why not we give you a change of pace?'

The chains were released, and Honey was on the floor. He was now wearing a stained white shirt, and blue briefs that had a number on it, seemingly a number tag. _Now's my chance…_

But as he jolted up, he found that he couldn't run. All the beatings he had took in the last few hours, combined with that damned taser, had ensured that he couldn't recover enough energy to even attempt an escape. He fell down again, sprawled on the floor with no energy in his lower body whatsoever.

'Heh, did you see that? Man, that was funny!'

'Wouldn't have gotten far anyway. Come on!'

Honey couldn't escape their grips as they dragged him out of the room, into a dark hallway. _Someone… someone save me…_

 _I don't want to die here!_

* * *

It was three hours of sleep before they could finally enter the ICU. There were a couple of other people around some of the patients, others alone and sleeping. Mori was awake when he saw two familiar faces.

'Mori-senpai!' Tamaki tried to hug him, to which Mori pushed him away gently, shaking his head profusely.

'I'm still in the ICU.'

'You can still speak! I was so worried that you would be in a coma, and not remember anything-'

'No, I do.'

Haruhi was surprised that Mori seemed so calm, despite his injury. Did he not remember anything that happened?

'Mori-senpai, are you alright now?'

'The doctors said I'm in stable condition now, which is good. Are you alright?'

 _He does._

'Yes, Bossanova-kun and I'm fine... about Honey-senpai...'

Mori didn't move, still lying on his bed. His eyes, however, didn't lie, that he felt a change of emotion inside of him. Surely, it can't be for the better.

'Mitsukuni... if I catch the rascals who kidnapped him...'

He bolted up, scaring the two visitors.

'I'll... I'll kill them!'

'Mori-senpai, please calm down... Kyoya-senpai and the others are trying to locate him now.'

Mori slumped back, but his mood remained.

'I have failed,' he proclaimed suddenly.

'Mori-senpai...?'

'I have failed. I'm supposed to protect Mitsukuni from danger... and... look at what happened. It's my fault.'

Silence fell upon them as Haruhi fell into deep thought. Honey and Mori were the best of friends, as close as the twins were. For Mori to think so much of him even when he was in pain, and for him to take the blame of Honey solely upon himself-

'I'm killing myself.'

'No! Don't do it, Mori-senpai!'

After calming him down, Mori turned to Tamaki.

'Tamaki, I have a request' he said, in a rather calm manner. 'Go join Kyoya's group as soon as possible and help them out. I'll be fine here.'

'...Mori-senpai...'

'Please.'

Silence again, before Tamaki stood up. He reached his hand out towards Haruhi.

'You're right. Haruhi, let's go help them out.'

She looked up at him, dazed for a few seconds before grabbing the hand.

'Let's go.'

* * *

He was on a hard, wooden bench. One of the Sendo had tied his feet, hands and neck to that bench, with his face upward. Not that he could have escaped in his state anyway.

'Well then, since you refused our deal, we're just going to have to go through our... programme.'

 _Programme? Is there more torture?_

'Tell me, Haninozuka...'

A Sendo placed some cloth on Honey's face. Their intentions were clear to him now.

 _Waterboarding?!_

'Have you dived underwater before?'

'Get... get this off me, you crazy jerks! What do you think you're doing?!'

The Sendo members paused.

'Why, waterboarding of course,' one of them finally said in a matter-of-fact tone.

And then with water from the faucet, they poured on him. Water, plummeting on his face continuously. The sound of water, the sound of laughter around him, and the sound of his own futile attempts to scream: they merged to form a blur of sound that Honey couldn't comprehend. Water, everywhere. It was completely blocking him out from air, as he suffocated: he was literally drowning on land. No oxygen, only water. Water, that vital substance that he drank every day for survival, was now the cruel master that was forcing itself on his face, forcing his death...

 _I can't breathe...!_

Darkness.

* * *

His eyes soon opened again.

 _Am I dead?_

Honey had found his consciousness come back again, but this time despite all the water that seemed to surround him, he felt a heavy weight on his stomach. He then saw that it was a Sendo sitting on his stomach.

Instantaneously, he felt a great uprising of fluids within him, one that caused his body to shake for a couple of seconds. And then he vomited the water from his stomach. Water from his mouth and all openings of his face. He wanted to breathe, but he could only vomit and cough heavily. He tried to get up, having forgotten about the restraints on his limbs, but the Sendo's weight pinned him down nonetheless, inciting pain within his body.

'Awake? Then it's time for round two now!'

 _W-what? No, don't do it... please don't-_

And then, a fresh wave of water. It was as if the faucet was summoning a tsunami, as Honey's body felt the familiar suffocating feeling again, this time only managing to endure even less of the tsunami before blacking out.

Four or five times this continued, a cycle of water forced onto Honey's face, causing him to fall unconscious, before waking up and vomiting great amounts of water from his tiny body each time, all accompanied by the hooting and jeering of the Sendo members in the background.

When the cloth was removed, Honey's body started heaving up and down, taking in huge gulps of oxygen. So long he had been depraved of it: he needed it. He was even more drained than before, almost wiped out. When they removed his restraints, he fell off the bench, his frail body landing painfully on the cold floor. Yet he couldn't move a muscle. He couldn't think. All he wanted was to get the hell out of there, away from these horrors.

Then, the orchestrators of the horror grabbed his arms, and dragged him off to another room. But he did not panic this time. He couldn't if he wanted to.

He was drained.

* * *

AN: Writing this story forces me to research a lot into stuff like tasers and waterboarding and doing that improves my knowledge more than some of my school teachers.

I'm not sure that I can do this weekly under my new schedule because over-enthusiastic parent and day-long tuition everyday for like the next 3 weeks! Yay! **Worst holiday season ever** I'll try, but I might rush a few chapters from early January anyway because school starts in February for me, and being committed to this (which I love) while taking the IBDP might not be a good idea.

Thanks for reading, and merry Christmas! (Even if you're reading this after Christmas. Every day is Christmas!)

[If you somehow didn't get the alternating dialogue part that's Haruhi and the Sendo jerks in alternating fashion, starting with Haruhi. But you should all get it right? ;)]


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Ouran Koukou Host Club or any of its characters, plots etc. I do own deep love for Ouran Koukou Host Club and most of its characters, plots etc.

 **WARNING:** Confinement (this isn't a big part) and dogs.

* * *

One week had passed, but it seemed like one year had passed.

Every second seemed so long, and every second passed without new information seemed like a century wasted.

One week had passed.

The students at Ouran were quick in uncovering news, and Mori getting shot was no exception. He was still at hospital in a stable condition, but every day there were girls flooding his ward to visit him, so much so that they petitioned a field trip to his ward to no avail.

Even Honey's absence was being questioned now. The girls knew it was strange not to see Mori's best friend nowhere near him in hospital, at any given time. The initial conclusion of a psychological trauma being taken care of at home was now less and less likely each day.

Kyoya knew that the truth would spark an uproar within Ouran. He had to find him, and fast.

But he couldn't. For one week the Hosts had pulled all sorts of connections to locate Honey's location, and that wasn't made any easier by being unable to completely spill out the truth in fear of a backlash.

He stared into the bright rectangle that was his laptop screen, his brain not absorbing anything written on the rectangle.

Kyoya was stuck.

* * *

Honey was stuck.

He stared into the dark rectangle that was a wall, his brain frantically trying to find a way out.

He was scared of confined spaces: even in the cargo room of a truck he would be scared stiff, but this was much worse. He felt like he couldn't even breathe.

Honey couldn't move a muscle: such was the size of the box. And two hours later, stuck in the same position, he couldn't feel a muscle.

It was painful, exacerbated by the perpetual silence outside his prison. Honey was very certain that he was alone in the room. Nevertheless, he had cried out for freedom over the last hour or so, to no avail.

When they did eventually drag him out, he was completely paralysed, both mind and body. He was so dazed that he couldn't even feel fear at what could happen to him next. He didn't even complain when they blindfolded him. He just wanted to sleep, to get out of this hellhole in any way possible.

 _It's gonna be alright. Takashi will be fine, Kyoya and the rest will find me quick enough..._

* * *

When he woke up, he was still blindfolded, and tied to the chair again. Faint struggles did little but to catch the attention of the Sendo members.

They were talking to him in their usual condescending tone, but Honey wasn't even listening carefully by now.

Something else had caught his attention. There was an unusual sound, like a metal chain threatening to break. A low, monotonous hum filled the air.

 _Wait, that's not a hum..._

That sound was growing larger, and the there seemed to be sounds of footsteps now too. Those were growing larger too, but they didn't seem human.

 _Isn't that more of a... growl-_

The thought was interrupted, as a searing pain cut right through him, completely out of the blue. Honey couldn't hear anything, his immediate screams of _sheer pain_ filling both the room and his ears. His body was flailing around madly, and he felt limp in his left leg. The chair almost tipped backwards.

Pain. Sheer pain.

And then, light.

When the blindfold was removed, Honey blinked, and then stared at that thing in front of him. Fear engulfed him as his eyes grew wide.

It was a pit bull terrier, big in size and glaring eyes locked onto him. It was completely covered in white except its mouth, where there was red all over.

Looking down on his leg, Honey's mind froze. There was blood all over it, _his_ blood. A huge sea of red had formed on it, to the point that he couldn't tell where the bite mark was. It felt limp, dead. The dog was still growling at him, a predatory gaze over its face, seemingly blood-thirsty. Even the Sendo member that was holding onto its metal leash was visibly struggling to hold it still, as the terrier relentlessly urged forward to taste more of the red on its face.

'Looks like Donald likes your taste,' another of the Sendo members stated bluntly. The monster that looked like anything but a Donald was now growling loudly, and madly trying to escape its master's hold. 'That wound seems deeper than we expected. Don't worry, we'll give you some first aid before letting you play with Donald and his friends.'

 _Play? Friends? What the hell is going on?_ Fear grasped hold of Honey once more as he was hoisted out of the chair, as the terrier tried to jump at his neck. As he was carried out of the room, he tried to quickly look around for a possible escape route, but pain prevented his eyes from doing so, instead locking them up behind his shut eyelids as blood continued to leak out from his leg.

* * *

Kyoya couldn't understand. Until now, most conundrums were too easy for him to solve, and even the hardest ones didn't stop him, but merely asked of him to think out of the box. But this was different. No matter how many ways he thought of, none of them would work.

It seemed... unsolvable.

Through information from Kasanoda's clan, the Hosts had managed to narrow down Honey's location to one of seven so-called strongholds of the Sendo clan. But that was the easy part. There seemed to be no way to identify the stronghold confining Honey without directly entering them, and based on Kasanoda's advice, splitting the Ootori's private police force into squadrons would be murder, while sending the entire force into one stronghold at a time would both draw public attention and waste time, which they couldn't afford.

Normally calm in the wake of adversity, Kyoya felt something within him that he didn't usually feel. His emotion was a mix of anger, hatred, desperation, panic - never had he expected to be mired in this kind of situation, where someone he knew so well would be harmed.

They didn't really interact all that much, but Kyoya and Honey had a deep mutual respect. Kyoya knew that Honey, despite liking cute things and acting like an elementary schoolboy, was actually gifted and has the skill to understand things quite clearly.

Never would he have expected Honey, a martial arts champion, to be taken away so easily.

His only other real lead, Mori, wasn't able to clearly recall the details of that night, other than the fact that he was shot and Honey had suffered before being kidnapped. Now Kyoya was stuck.

 _Time is running out._

* * *

Honey was suspended in mid-air, hands bound by metal chains attached to the ceiling. His feet were close to the ground, but not quite close enough to touch it. His wound was bandaged up, after some admittedly impressive and careful first-aid skills. He knew it would probably be the only real care the Sendo clan would give him, and that would just be to preserve him for more torture.

Looking around, he noted that the room he was in was circular, resembling an arena of sorts, with many doors lining the walls. Honey could swear that he could hear more growling behind them. Through one of them a Sendo member emerged. Bowing in a mocking manner, he then proceeded to explain.

'Mr Haninozuka, I'm correct to say that you have met Donald just now, yes?'

Recalling their earlier words, Honey's body stiffened as his mind almost launched into overdrive. Suddenly he had a bad feeling about what was going to happen.

'Well, Donald wants to... introduce his friends to you, so we have arranged a special meeting.'

With that, the doors flung open, and Honey's eyes widened again, as he went into panic.

There were pit bull terriers, so many he couldn't even count. They bolted out of the door, towards him in the middle, and Honey braced himself for a certain mutilation of his lower limbs.

And then, a clang of metal and all the dogs stopped right in front of him.

Honey dared not open his eyes, nor move his dangling legs. When he finally did look, he discovered that all the dogs were attached to similar metal leashes that seemed to stem from behind the door, designed specifically to halt the dogs just before him. Right in front of him was that white monster, Donald. It seemed to recognise him, growling furiously as it tried to inch closer to him, to no avail.

'Looks like they're all eager!' the Sendo exclaimed. 'Well then, we're going to let you guys interact with each other for a while, so I'll be taking my leave...'

And with that, he started to make his way out.

 _Wait, what? They... surely they can't leave me here!_

'Hold on! What are you doing here? Why- why are you trying to get me killed by these dogs?!'

The Sendo paused, before turning around to show a smirk.

'Don't worry. As you might have noticed, the dogs can only stop just short of biting your precious legs off, as long as you don't move your legs towards them of course.'

He turned around and continued walking.

'It's the experience.'

Honey was now alone, hanging in mid-air. He was surrounded by what seemed like twenty or so terriers, all wanting to sink their teeth into him. He panicked, and the instance his leg moved, one of the dogs leaped forward, its open mouth barely missing him.

Honey could see the metal leashes threatening to break free, and he wanted to get out of there. But somehow dislodging himself from the ceiling would prove to be both impossible and foolish. He had to concentrate, and stop his legs from moving at all costs.

This wasn't just a matter of holding onto his mental resilience.

This was a matter of survival.

'Get me out of here, you dickheads!' As soon as he shouted, the dogs reacted and jumped upwards, trying to bite. Honey regretted his decision almost immediately. He was beyond mortified. Eventually they had to get him out of there. Eventually.

Sometime soon.

...

Hopefully?

Honey had lost track of time by now. His arms were tired, and so were his legs. But the dogs weren't tiring. On the contrary, they seemed to be getting energised with each failed bite. Donald in particular seemed almost mental, and Honey was really fearing that its leash would break, in which case he was as good as dead.

 _I have to get out of here..._

But how?

Then, it dawned on him. There was only one way he could escape from this arena. It was almost humiliating, a defeat, but he knew he had to do it before the dogs could break free.

'Please, I'll do anything if you get me out of this room! Please!'

He had said it.

* * *

A few minutes later and a few Sendo members came in. They expertly tamed and guided the dogs back, before coming back to Honey.

'You said you'll do anything, you won't regret it.'

* * *

AN: If you're gonna complain about the dog name: in my defence I used a random name generator for a **male** dog, and the first name was **Sophie**. I rerolled and out came Donald. **No political stuff whatsoever**. (I don't care if you make jokes about it though)

This week's research was mostly watching Ouran anime and inferring - probably wrongly - that Honey has claustrophobia (one of the beach episodes), and reading about various torture methods. The dog one is used not for physical but for mental damage, in that you'll be so scared of more bites you'll beg to escape. Proof that writing stories can boost your studying! (Don't blame me if you use this on your parents/teachers) I was gonna put an electric chair but I pursue realism and couldn't decide whether Honey would die from electrocution, which isn't part of my plans for this story (or really any future Ouran stuff I might do)


End file.
